Alfredo Rodríguez Salicio

Alfredo Rodríguez is the eldest of two sons of Alfredo "Alfredito" Rodríguez, a professional Cuban singer and composer of romantic songs and television presenter.

He studied classical piano at the "Manuel Saumell" Conservatory, then at the "Amadeo Roldán" Music Conservatory and at the Superior Institute of Art, all in La Habana.

His interest in jazz was stimulated by the annual "JoJazz" competition for young jazz musicians, where he won an honorable mention in 2003.

In 2006, Rodríguez was selected as one of twelve pianists from around the world to perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Music producer Quincy Jones noticed him at the Jazz Festival and offered to work with him.

In 2007, he formed the first Alfredo Rodríguez Trio, with Gastón Joya (bass) and Michael Olivera (drums). In 2009, Rodríguez accompanied his father as a band member on a concert tour to Mexico, when he decided not to return to Cuba, but to leave his country and family and request political asylum at the Nuevo Laredo border crossing with the United States. With Jones's support, he began his pursuit of a music career in the United States.

Rodríguez has performed at Playboy Jazz Festival, SXSWMusic Festival, Detroit Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, Jazz Roots Performing Arts Center Concert Series, XVI Festival Internacional al Aire Libre (Poland), Jazz a Vienne Festival (France), North Sea Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Umbria Jazz Festival (Italy), Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Mawazine Festival (Morocco), Mundo Latino Festival (Brazil), Shanghai International Film Festival (China), Shanghai Tourist Festival (China), as well as many other performances. Rodríguez has also been selected by various brands such as Mercedes Benz and Louis Vuitton to perform at corporate functions and product launches. During this period, Alfredo has shared stages with jazz artists such as Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Patti Austin, James Ingram, McCoy Tyner, Esperanza Spalding, Richard Bona, and Lionel Loueke.

One of Rodríguez's best-known compositions was achieved thanks to collaboration with Quincy Jones, Tan Dun, and Siedah Garrett; the anthem "Better City, Better Life" was selected as the official theme for the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

In 2015, Rodríguez received his first Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Arrangement for "Guantanamera" at the 57th Grammy Awards.

A critic in 2009 suggested that Rodríguez was "more of a fusion of Bill Evans, Kenny Werner, Fred Hersch, even touches of Thelonious Monk in conception, if not in execution, with hints here and there of his Cuban heritage."

Another critic in the same year wrote that "in a melody, his crisp bebop lines recalled Bill Evans's early playing on the George Russell mid-1950s Jazz Workshop album. Other pieces suggested the melodic inventiveness of Keith Jarrett. And others show an emerging style of his own, contrasting jagged, protruding passages and thick harmonic clusters with sudden and unexpected arcs of lyricism."